What is a nurse’s eye?
As a nurse we see the world through a different lens. We see past the acne stricken face of a middle aged woman and see her gut issues, her acid reflux and we realize her skin is only a manifestation of her systemic inflammation. We know that the wobbly man who cannot catch his breath as he returns his shopping cart back to the corral is unsteady due to swollen ankles and needs an extra forty milligrams of Lasix to feel more human. And the child, that innocent child who just wants the undivided attention from a trusting adult, will lack the release of endorphins and the child will be left to his own inadequate coping mechanisms. The connections are not being made at this crucial stage of development. And this child will seek chemical satisfaction from other sources, alcohol or drugs, later in life. The endorphin rush out with the first effect of alcohol, eager to be released, causing this person to be delighted with every intake. The start of an addiction cascade is all too understood by the nurse caring for the chronic alcoholic and realizing they did not have what they needed as a child. We see it all. The illness yet forthcoming, the chronic ones that cause your demise, and the ones you are blinded to because you don’t have our lens. Let me share with you my view of the world through my lens.